Metallic bearing having alpha compensating backing



.F 1932- w. VAN E. THOMPSON 1,845,364

METALLIC BEARING HAVING A COMPENSATING BACKING Filed June '25, 1928 Z9 A 5 .34 3 5 M a /9 3 9 7%. 5 Q $1 k k1 7 m j I 2 =1 20 i M ma ks 3% Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED .s 'r rr'13s PATENT m erg WALTER VAN n. 'rnomrson, or os armies. cArrromvm, AsSIG-Non 'r'o THOMPSON .MAN FAQTURi-NGQOMPANX, orLos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, aeonronnrron or CALIFORNIA.

Application filed June 2 5,

My invention relates to thrust-bearings, and it relates'particularly to a thrust-bearing for use in a device through whiche fluid passes. Myinvention is particularly'use-ful in the sprinkler industry, and in the follow-.

ing description my invention will described as embodied in asprinkl'er constructlOIL J.

Inthis shell when fluid is passing 'through the sprinkler;

' The water which passedQthr ou-gh sprinkler system and which is ejected through the various sprinklers carries foreign matter, such a's sand,fsiltj, and very small snail shells. The ordinary type of sprinkler not only includes the vertical radial bearings, by means of which the head structure is r0- tatably supported, but it also includes a thrust-bearing, by means of which the thrust of the head structure is transferred to the supporting structure. This necessary by reason of the fact that the water under pres sure passing through tlie' sprinkler forces the head structure upward, torestrain this upward movement a thrust-bearing required. WVhen'tlie sprinkler is at rest the bead drops down by gravity and there'is-a space between the faces which; comprise the thrust-bearing. In" view of the fact that the water carries different particles-of foreign matter, thiswater will'fiow into the space between the faces comprising the thrusts bearing and will leak from the sprinkler head, but the foreign'inatter will be deposited on the lower face of'the thrust bearing. When the sprinkler "is again brought into operation, the head is forced'upward with the result that the foreign ni-atter'is caught between the faces comprising the thrustindustry a common design of spr inkler has a central stationary arbor having 'rates of speed.

METALLIC Bnnmne Ravine n coMrnNsAr nG mam 1 28. Serial 110,237,918.

This will result in leakage; I It is one of theobjects of-my present inventhrust-bearing faces are always maintained in contactand in which'the other features mentioned-above are present.

One'of the objects of this jinvention is to provide a thrust-bearing construction for a a I 60 sprinkler of this character.

As theradial bearings of the sprinkler be come worn, theshell is not held in true align-- bearing and willprevent a proper seating.

tion to provide a'thrust bearing in which the contact, and a leakage will oecur throug'h thisthrust bearingx It is an object of my invention: to provide a thrust-bearing which is self-adjusting, and will properly seat, even though there isfa disalignment between the shell and the arbor.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a thrust-bearing of this character, which has-a metal to-inetal contact,yso that there will bea minimum'of friction.- The particular-advantage of embodying this feature in a sprinkler is that thesprinkler may be made to operate at very slow rotating speeds. In the commonform' of sprinkler of'this character, it is customary to provide a resilient washer as a bearing element. This resilient washer, when new, has a goodbearin'g surhecomeshardened and rough so that it ereates suflicient friction co-prevent the sprinkler-head from rotatingproperly at slow- Other. objects and advantages of-the invention will be pointed'outfin the following description, i

Referring to .the 'accompanying drawings in which I illustrate the preferred form of myinvention, I 7

Fig. lis avertical section of a sprinkler embodying the invention, the parts in Fig. '1 being shown in positions which they occupy when water is passing through the sprinkler. I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectionsimilar to Fig. 1, this view showing the parts in the positions they occupy when there is no water ,pressure in the sprinkler.

' the invention.

passage is directed, and carried by the Referring to the drawings, the numeral '11 represents a header through which fluid may be supplied to a number of sprinklers, such 3 as illustrated in this application. The header 11 is provided with a T 12 from which the vertical conduit 13 is extended. Attached to the vertical conduit 13 is an arbor 14 which forms a part of the sprinkler which will nowbe described. The arbor 14 has a central passage 15, through which water from the header 11 may pass. Surrounding the arbor 14 is a shell 17 provided with radial bearings Band 19 at the lower andupper ends respectively, these bearings 18 and 19 engaging the journal surface 20 ofthe arbor 14. Threadedly connectedto the upper end 23 of the shell 17 ,is a body 24. ,into which water from the body 24 is a nozzle 25 through which water passes from the body 24.

As illustrated best in Fig. 4, the upper end ofthe arbor is threaded at 28, and screwed thereonto is a shoulder in the form of a nut 29. The end of the arbor 14 is spun over at to prevent the shoulder 29.from being unscrewed. The upper end of the shell 17 is provided with a thrust-bearing face 31, which in the form of the invention illustrated, is provided at the upper end of the radial hearing 19. This thrust-bearing face 31 surrounds the arbor 14 and is located directly below the shoulder 29. Arranged between the thrust-bearing face 31 and the shoulder 29 is a thrust-bearing element in the form of a ring 33. The ring 33 is adapted to contact the thrust-bearingface 31, and to form a thrust-bearing for the sprinkler.

The ring 33 is Tobin bronze, and the thrust-face 31 is brass. Arranged between the thrust-bearingelement or ring 33, and the shoulder 29, is a resilient backing-ring 34.

The resilient backing-ring is preferably re-' .tained on the upper end of the arbor 14 in contact with the lower 2 part ofthe shoulder When water ispassing through the sprinkler the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1. Water pressure is built up in the body 24, which pulls the body 24 and the shell 17 upward relative tothe arbor 14 so that the ring-33 is in contact with the resilient backing-ring 34. The thrust-bearing element, or ring 33, rotates in contact with the thrustbearing face 31 and provides an eflicient thrust-bearing.

Should the bearings 18 and 19 wear so that the shell 17 is in eccentric arrangement with the axis -AA of the arbor 14, the thrustbearing face 31 will not rest in a plane at right angles to the axis A-A. If the thrust-bearing element, or ring 33, were fixed with res'pect to the arbor 14, a space would be formed and there would be a leaka e around the arbor 14 and inside the shell 17. In View of the operation of the resilient backing-ring 34, which adjusts itself or compensates for any 'disalignment of the shell 17, the thrust-bearis allowed to properly align itself with the thrust-bearing face 31,-and to maintain a proper annular contact therewith.

V When the sprinkler-is not in operation the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 2.

The thrust-bearingelement or ring 33 moves downward withthe shell 17, and remains in contact with the thrust-bearing face 31. I This precludes any foreign matter from entering between the bearing surfaces and damaging them. Any foreign matter which settles around the upper end of the arbor 14 may enterbetween the thrust-bearing element or ring 33 and the resilient backing-ring '34. However, the resilient backing-ring is made from such material that the foreign; mater will be pressed into the surface thereof, and not cause a leakage through the thrust-bearmg. V

The invention herein 7 is illustrated in a sprinkler. The invention may be usedin other arts which require a non-leaking thrustbearing which must have but a minimum of friction. The invention in its essence consists of a primary member and a secondary member relatively rotatable thereto, radial bearing means provided for the members, a shoulder carried by one of said'members, a thrustbearing face provided by the other of said members, and a thrust-bearing member separate from the primary or secondary members, which thrust-bearing element is arranged beljween the shoulder and the thrust-bearing ace.

I claim as my invention: I

1. In a sprinkler of the class described the combination. of a supporting structure having a primary vertical bearing face;.a rotatable head structure supported by said supporting structure and having a secondary verticalbearing face. engaging said primary bearing face, there being a relative vertical movement between said structures; an upper horizontal shoulder on one of said structures; a lower horizontal thrust-bearing face on the other of said structures below said shoulder; a thrust-bearing element'above said thrustbearing face, adapted forcontinuous contact therewith; and a resilient backing member between said thrust-bearing element and said thrust-bearing element and said resilient backing member when said sprinkler is not in operation, the water pressure bringing these parts into engagement wheni said 5 sprinkler is in operation by moving said head structure Vertically relative to said supporting structure. 2. In a sprinkler of the class described, the combination of: a supporting structure hav 10 ing a primary vertical bearing face; a rotatable head structure supported by; said supporting structure and having a secondary vertical bearing face engaging said primary bearing face, there being a relative vertical movement between said structure; an upper. horizontal shoulder on one of said structures; a lower horizontal thrust-bearing face on the other of said structures below said shoulder; a thrust-bearing element above said thrust 20 hearing face adapted for continuous Contact therewith; and a resilient backing member between said thrust-bearingelement and said I shoulder. i p

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 19th day of June, 1928. l/VALTER VAN E. THOMPSON. a. 

